Parshat Yitro
24 Shevat 5761
February 17, 2001
Daf Yomi: Gittin 10


Guest Rabbi:
Rabbi Shlomo Yaffe
Young Israel of Hartford, CT

A Chosen People?
It is commonly said that the Jews are the "Chosen People". This of course raises the question so beloved of theologians - "Chosen by whom for what?

If we actually examine the Biblical source for this assertion in this week's Torah Portion we will find a different and richer wording for this concept of "choseness".In Chapter 19 verses 1-6 of Exodus (beginning of the fourth Aliyah in this weeks Portion) we are told:

" In the third month from the Exodus�the children of Israel came (plural) to the Desert of Sinai�. and they camped in the desert and Israel camped ("VAYICHAN" singular tense) opposite the Mountain." "And Moses went up to G-d�and G-d told him� so shall you tell the children of Jacob�if you keep My covenant� you shall be for Me a "SEGULAH"- (commonly translated as "a treasure" or "beloved")- from all the nations because all the earth is mine." "You shall be to Me a kingdom of COHANIM (tr. "priests) and a "KADOSH" (tr. "holy) nation"

This section raises several questions:
1. Why say Segulah (beloved, treasure) in the context of - "for all the earth is mine"-, how is this a reason for a group being unique? Au contraire, this seems to be describing a commonality of purpose for all!
2. Why does the Torah choose the term "priests" and "holy" to describe the status of the Jewish People?
3. Why the switch to "Vayichan" the singular form of "camping" when it talks about camping by Mount Sinai? We are talking about several million people and grammatically we should use the plural, as is indeed the case with this word throughout the rest of the Bible!

If we look carefully at the crucial words a deeper picture emerges.

Segulah - often translated as "treasure" actually means possessing a particular quality and influence. The Talmud speaks of stones, minerals and herbs possessing "segulah" which means a particular influential quality e.g. curative, physical (such as hardness, brilliance and the like), etc.

Thus, the verse is saying that the Jewish people are to possess qualities that will positively influence and be a segulah for all the nations to reveal that "all the earth is Mine". When all of Humanity lives in harmony with their inherent nature of "In the image of G-d man was created" then we see the presence of G-d in "all the Earth".

This is also the meaning of Cohanim (priests) and Kadosh (holy). A Cohain's purpose is to illuminate the lives of the people with spirituality. The Cohain facilitated the role of the Temple as a place where people could sense the presence of the Infinite in this corporeal world and take that inspiration into their lives, sanctifying the "day to day" of life.

"KADOSH" (tr. "holy) actually means uplifted- we take that which is part of the mundane world and demonstrate it's inherent G-dliness.

For example, Shabbat is called Kadosh. Shabbat seems to be a day like any other (it has 24 hours and so on) but we reveal the presence of a far deeper reality in time by observing it in a way that reveals that the very substance of creation is G-dly.

So too, we all need to eat, all humans have families, but we bring the G-dly into these areas of life and hence the Torah tells us to be Kadosh in the areas of food with Kashrus and of family life with the laws of relationships and marriage.

That which is intrinsically and obviously G-dly does not need a commandment of Kedushah.By living in a way that reveals the G-dly in everyday life we demonstrate that G-d is the reality of existence and not some philosophical abstraction.

This our role � we are chosen to live in such a way that it is obvious to all humanity that "All the earth" is G-dly and, if we all have the same source� well, the positive implications for all are endless. But we only show this by uncompromising commitment to all Mitzvoth both between us and HaShem and us and our fellow.

This is why Maimonides includes the our obligation to sway all of humanity to follow the Seven Noahide laws, the universal morality of all humankind - as a fundamental part of the Revelation at Sinai and the election of the Jewish people.

The proof of our rising to our potential is the extent to which we cause (both by example and by reaching out to the world) the values of Sinai to permeate all of humankind.

However, this is only possible if we attain the "Vayichan" the encampment at the foot of Mt. Sinai in the singular tense, as our sages say the Jewish people encamped as "one person and with one heart".

To create unity in all of existence we must first live it ourselves. As the Zohar tells us "G-d's presence cannot be revealed in a conflicted place" but rather as we say in the Amidah "Bless us all together in the light of Your Presence". Togetherness is the seal of G-dliness and with it can we receive the Torah into ourselves and then project it to all. As the prophet Yeshayhu promises us "And the world will be full of the knowledge of HaShem as the waters cover the seabed."